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Playground surfacing takes a lot of abuse; thousands of little feet are constantly pounding, pushing, kicking, and grinding at the surfacing. Occasionally, through sloppy installation, playground surfacing takes a pounding and gets ruined before children …

Most school districts and child care associations like the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) have specific requirements for the ratio of children per adult in the classroom and on the playground. The yard duty personnel are …

There remains confusion among many playground owners and others in the playground industry regarding the need for playground construction laws in America. You may feel overwhelmed by the need for licenses regarding so many things in life, ranging from …

If one person in this country could give a "State of Play" address, I wonder what she would say. Take, for instance, the President's most recent address. He talked about some landmark changes this past year, one of them being the first appointed "Madam" …

When designing an aquatic play space, creativity is a must. You want your play events to be fun and different, and Fountain People, Inc., manufacturers of Water Odyssey aquatic playground equipment has the creativity and expertise to design and …

Through years of researching how children play, Union Land has come up with some great ideas for the play environment. It has brought its third series of Fun Climbers to being with the Ant’s Hill Climber. It simulates the cooperation and diligent work …

Founded in 1996, Childforms is now celebrating its 10th anniversary. It started out with a single product and has grown to offer a complete line of children’s play structures geared to the 2-5 year set. It also offers options for schools, parks, and rec …

It seems a lot of people think that when you reach a certain age, you are too old to play. That means different things to different people. The truth is, you’re never too old. We need play throughout our lives. It is very important to note the positive …

Bullying is a hot topic in many places, and that’s because it’s alive and well. No parent or teacher wants to see a child go through it, but there are also high school students who want to help stop it. It takes some courage for others to stand up for a …

We’ve all heard the statistics regarding injuries on playgrounds. We know children get and are still getting, hurt and killed out there. There are the obvious things we can do to reduce the likelihood of that occurring, such as buying equipment that is …

A photograph of a Polish child at a “Dom Dziecka” (the Polish words for children’s home or orphanage) I received in April of 2005 started my journey towards an international missions trip to build a new playground for needy kids in that country. Having …

Abacus Ace Surfaces NA, Inc.     800-678-9223 www.reboundace.com   Adpro 440-542-1800   Advanced Ground Care 708-331-6100   Advanced Surfacing Technology, Inc. 512-833-8000     www.advanced-surfacing.com   American Bark 360-254-0794       American …

There are so many things to consider when choosing a surface for your play space. You have to consider the location, and with that, what type of surfacing will weather the best if you are in an area of extreme temperatures. Idaho, for example, can have …

In 1990 California passed legislation known as Senate Bill 2733 to require the development of playground regulations.  SB 2733 required the California Department of Health Services to consult with various public agencies including the California Park & …

Few things are more frustrating to today’s playground professional than vandalism to the public spaces they are responsible for maintaining.  It negatively affects staff, budgets, and even public safety. Commonly vandalism takes the form of graffiti, turf …

Remember the children's game "kick the can"? Boy, I do. Nightlife in my neighborhood included this and other games we kids played only after the sun went down. We'd start at dusk and not quit till Terrie or David's mom hollered for us to come in for the …

“The marginalized child in my classroom is a snob,” reports Ms. Jones, a third-grade teacher. “No one wants to be around her.  She’s rude and uncaring. I know the school counselor said she was a lonely child, but, my goodness, she deserves to be. She’s …

The technical aspects of playground surfacing start with the CPSC Handbook for Public Playground Safety. “Because head impact injuries from a fall have the potential for being life-threatening, the more shock-absorbing a surface can be made, the greater …

Creating original theme ideas for your community park is a good way to offer play equipment and play areas that invigorate and excite your community. Whether you are designing a traditional park setting, a play structure, spray park, or water park, …

Can it really be that the phrase “Tag, you’re it!” is a thing of the past? I was sure I heard that wrong when listening to the news recently. Imagine my shock at hearing that a school in Massachusetts banned the game most of us grew up playing in one form …

­If you are interested in creating a sound garden for your school or neighborhood park, there are different resources out there to help with equipment selection as well as funding. Check with your local department of cultural affairs. In New York City, …